Chapter 12

I wondered if I had ever been so obvious, but I couldn’t think of any time in particular. When he caught me trying to deny it, Ji Geon-hyung’s eyes were already full of conviction.

I bowed my head as if I had committed a sin. I couldn’t see my face, but it was probably as dark as the coffee in my hand. I felt guilty not knowing where to start or how to speak, and my heart jumped like a child caught doing something bad.

“I’m not trying to blame you, so raise your head.”

Ji Geon-hyung knew that I liked Kang Ji Seok, but he didn’t seem to care.

“Actually, I think I’m glad that you like Ji Seok-ie.”

“…What?”

I looked up at him after hearing his incomprehensible words. Because of the close distance, I was able to see my face reflected in Ji Geon-hyung’s dark eyes.

“I don’t want to get married even if I’m in a relationship. I don’t want to date anyone in the first place.”

As soon as I heard that, my head tilted to the side. A few days before the ring formed, I heard from Kang Ji Seok that Ji Geon-hyung clearly had a decent younger boyfriend. And yet Ji Geon-hyung talked as if he didn’t have a lover.

“Kang Ji Seok said that you have a younger lover…”

“En, there was one. But we broke up.”

“When?”

“Right after I knew you were my partner.”

Ji Geon-hyung didn’t say anything complicated, but it was hard to understand. It was as if he was saying that he broke up with his lover because I was the ring’s match. Well, I was pretty sure it was exactly because of the rings that we had to sort this out.

“No…no matter how hard it is, to break up like that…”

“I have to sleep with another person connected with the ring every day, do you think they could understand and [that I could] ask them to keep dating me? I’d rather be the bad guy myself, and tidy up [the situation].”

The more I listened, the more I felt sorry for Ji Geon-hyung’s lover, whom I didn’t even know his face or name. It seemed like the relationship ended because I unexpectedly got stuck between the two of them, and in reality, I had it right and another sense of guilt tried to take hold of my heart.

As if reading my mind, Ji Geon-hyung’s hand caressed my head, which felt pleasant.

“Don’t mind it. I was thinking about breaking up anyway, since there were a lot of things that were incompatible. Rather, I’m glad I was able to take this as an opportunity to sort things out.”

I was a little comforted thanks to Ji Geon-hyung’s additional words. Still, the weight of my heart couldn’t be completely relieved, so I lowered my eyes, and Ji Geon-hyung put down his hand with a gentle smile on the corners of his mouth.

“Us, let’s think of it as a deal.”

“A…deal?”

As I raised my head, his curved eyes resembled Kang Ji Seok and caught my attention.

“How do I look to you? Smiling like this, don’t you think I look like Ji Seok?”

“You’re not that similar. But at first glance, I really thought it was Kang Ji Seok.”

Ji Geon-hyung’s appearance was very much similar to Kang Ji Seok’s, but his original vibe was quite different.

Kang Ji Seok would always have a smile on his face even when he stayed still like a ghost who died because they couldn’t smile, and his voice was bright which made the listener feel better. He’s often branded as someone else’s pushover because of him being overly considerate and his innocent smile that felt too carefree or naive.

On the contrary, Ji Geon-hyung may smile, but when he didn’t, because of his slightly raised eyes and his low voice, compared to Ji Seok, he had a rather sharp and heavy feeling. Fortunately, it felt like an invisible wall was built, but the atmosphere itself was so cold that I couldn’t even speak a word to him. That’s why it was so difficult for me to say anything to Ji Geon-hyung even though I met him after so long since I’d first stepped foot into the house.

Since the atmosphere was completely different, it was easy to distinguish between the two of them even if they had similar physiques and twin-like faces. In other words, if the two of them could match each other’s vibe to a certain extent, it would be hard to tell the difference at first glance. Like the Ji Geon-hyung that was right in front of me.

Ji Geon-hyung said with a gentle smile as if he was imitating Kang Ji Seok.

“Think about it, Woo Seo-ya. Speaking frankly, Ji Seok-ie won’t accept your heart.”

With a loud noise, my heart pounded and dropped.

I already knew it even if he didn’t tell me. That’s why I had kept my mouth shut, to be by his side even as friends.

I knew. I was fully aware, but I still couldn’t help but feel heartbroken.

The inside of my mouth was too bitter as if, instead of Americano, I had espresso. I tried to resent Ji Geon-hyung for insisting on saying that as if it was going to kill me.

Without realizing it, I was biting on my lower lip. Ji Geon-hyung reached out, pressed on my lower lip with thumb and slowly pulled it away.

“You can use me.”

I lowered my eyes to hide their trembling but as soon as I heard those words, my vision shot back up without any control. What I saw in both my eyes was a kind face that reminded me of Kang Ji Seok as soon as I looked at him.

“If you want, I can imitate Ji Seok as much as you like.”

‘Just like right now.’

The words that Ji Geon-hyung didn’t directly say resonated in my head.

“All I need is a good night’s sleep so that it doesn’t interfere with my work.”

He put his hands on my left and right thighs, as if squeezing me and gave me a little strength.

“I’ll keep looking for a way to remove the ring, so how about it until then?”

I didn’t say anything for a moment and just looked into Ji Geon-hyung’s eyes for a long time.

**********

“Guuh!1”

After a long stretch, Ji Seok sat down next to me and plopped on the desk. Seeing the textbook under him crumple as if it was about to be torn, he quickly raised his arms and smoothed out the paper with his hands..

“There’s two hours left, what are you gonna do?”

There was still quite a bit of time until the next lecture. When I handed over the straightened textbook, Kang Ji Seok, who was drooping, took it and answered weakly.

“I feel like I’m going to sleep all night if I go home, so let’s go to the club room.”

“Do you think you’ll be able to sleep there?”

“I’m sure I’ll sleep, but at least you’ll be able to wake me up… Ah, right, we live together anyway,”

My heart fluttered at Ji Seok’s carelessly spoken words. Looking at his playful face, I was reminded that it had already been three days since we’ve been living in the same house.

It was still a bit annoying, even though it was close to home. That morning I had to check the data that one of the group members sent me and headed to the nearby club room to organize it in advance.

“You haven’t been going to work these days, did you quit?”

On the way, Ji Seok asked, seemingly struck by the thought in hindsight. Since I ended up living with Ji Geon-hyung, the boss of the part-time job, I didn’t need to take time off. I was stuck at home with Ji Seok at that time, and very quickly answered him.

“En, I don’t think it suits me.”

“Good idea. Since there are a lot of assignments, you won’t have time. Then you’ll get sick.”

It was nothing special, but his words of worry for me made me feel good. And when I smirked and said I didn’t want to hear that from someone who just had a cold a few days ago, he repeated with a grunt that I was being mean.

“I’m glad to hear that, though. I was worried about you and hyung because you both didn’t look well.”

While thinking of Ji Geon-hyung, Ji Seok stopped walking and suddenly grabbed my arm, turned me around, and put his mouth to my ear. Shocked by hearing his furtive voice in my ear, I was startled and stiffened.

“The other day, my brother1 said he had a ring. He didn’t know who it was at first, but now I think he’s found someone.”

The arm caught by Ji Seok and the ear touched by his voice seemed to completely stiffen. ‘Don’t tell me he noticed it was me.’

I asked him who it was without showing it [on my face]. Fortunately, Ji Seok didn’t exactly have an idea of the other person.

“As soon as he’s done with work, it seems like they sleep outside together for a while before coming back. I don’t even know who his partner is.”

In fact, at the time Ji Seok speculated it, Ji Geon-hyung deliberately spent time outside looking for something that wasn’t there. That way, Kang Ji Seok, who knew that Ji Geon-hyung had a ring, would think, ‘He’s going to sleep early outside with the ring’s partner’, and he would fall asleep late at night without worrying about anything to make him doubt it.

As Ji Geon-hyung intended, Kang Ji Seok actually looked interested and half worried this time.

“Is it okay? I heard he was gonna sort it out with his lover, but because of the ring, at this point hyung said that he would marry the ring’s partner by any chance…!”

Whack!

While in the middle of speaking, Ji Seok was stunned and stiffened at the sudden loud noise and weight crushing down on his shoulders. I was also startled and looked behind Ji Seok, a small woman who I’d never seen before was hanging from his back.

The woman made eye contact with me and smiled while greeting me cheerfully.